Introduction

Introduction 

Global Media Representations of the Arab People:Focus on American Media 

Media plays a large role in shaping the public opinion of practically anything, most of all race, religion, and culture. There has been consistent representation of the Arab throughout American cinema and news coverage. Overall the Arab has been represented as a nomadic person, prone to violence and scheming. They have often been portrayed as the villain in cinema, not only in adult rated film but children cartoons as well. A memorable example is that of Aladdin. We see the evil Jafar and his bandits as evil marauding Arabs while the hero Aladdin, far lighter skinned than the rest with an american accent, rescues the Sultan's daughter Jasmine from his evil plan. This film is a Disney classic and many children grew up watching it. 

Aladdin is only one example of the numerous portrayals of Arabs in media that create a fearful, negative outlook on the Arab people. In his book titled "Reel Bad Arabs," film authority Jack Shaheen discusses the tendency to portray Muslim Arabs as "Public Enemy #1; brutal, heartless, uncivilized others bent on terrorizing civilized Westerners."  He evaluates thousands of films and presents shocking proof of this villain-es portrayal. 

This portrayal is not only present in cinema, but in news coverage as well. Ever since the start of terrorist attacks across the world in the late 20th century, Arabs and Muslims have been the face of these terrorist groups. Granted, many of the groups including Al Qaeda and now ISIS are made of radical Muslims, there are terror groups all over the world consisting of all race and ethnicity. For example, there are numerous terror groups throughout Africa and Central America that have nothing to do with the Islamic religion. Regardless, American mass media has consistently emphasized the Arab terrorist as the face of terrorism. After the attacks of 9/11 Americans became extremely frightened by the idea of terrorism in the United States. Because the attacks were committed by Arab terrorists, Americans developed a broad stereotype for all Arabs as being violent anti-American terrorists. Truth is, it is a minuscule minority of Muslims who hold the terrorists extremist views on Islam. Islam, like any other religion, is a religion of peace. We are still dealing with this misrepresentation today and with current events unfolding it will become increasingly difficult to break this stereotype, but we must try.